Lifeline
by PlatinumQuill
Summary: Thought I had, when I read that Annabeth was Percy's lifeline in river Styx. Percabeth. Set in the fight against Kronos. No HoO, sorry ...


**I like HoO, but I had this idea for some time now and I finally wanted to write it. So only PJO. OneShot.**

**Even though I loved the moment on the bridge between Annabeth and Percy, in this version it can't have happened, or actually it had happened, but uhhh, you have to read it, only then you will understand. Set in the last Olympian, in the fight against Kronos. A little bit Percabeth**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan does.**

**Lifeline Percy's PoV**

Everything hurt. I looked around. Kronos had broken through our barriers around Manhattan, picking on the weak spots in our system, from whom he had the information, I didn't know, the spy had turned everything around, the whole plan had shattered. Quarter of us was already dead, the rest stood to my right, guarded by Kronos' minions, Nathan, the empousa queen and others.

I stood in the middle of the room at the foot of the stairs, facing Luke with Kronos' maniac winning grin and golden eyes, who was seated in Zeus' chair in Olympus. I thought that it looked ridiculous, seeing Luke's tiny form sitting in this big chair. He began to speak: "Your soul shall be reaped, like the prophecy said, your death will destroy Olympus and I will enslave the gods in Tartarus."

We heard crashing and everybody turned around to spot the source of the sound. There was Typhon and the gods, fighting. I caught a glimpse of Poseidon. He had joined, at last, I thought cheerfully, but saddened the moment I realized, how I had failed him. Poseidon was shooting water, sometimes mixed with lightning from Zeus. After a while he shouted something and went for the thing's feet or at least what I thought were the feet.

With a lot of water Poseidon soaked the ground to mud, in which Typhon got stuck. Zeus blew wind, Apollo let the sun dry the mud in order to immobilize Typhon. When the gods had made sure Typhon wouldn't break free from its bonds, they headed to Olympus. The group had turned back to me and I saw Grover, Thalia, Rachel and Annabeth. They were all unharmed, except for Thalia, who seemed to have a broken ankle.

I turned to Luke/Kronos. "And what now? The gods are coming and you have less than two minutes to reap my soul and I only have one weak spot I'm going to defend decently and better than my own eyeball." Luke/Kronos ignored me and turned to Nathan. "Let us greet the gods, partially my children." The next following moments happened in a blur. Kronos' eyes glowed and when the gods arrived, they weren't able to walk any nearer to neither us demigods nor Kronos himself than ten feet. The gods started to slash against the invisible barrier until Hera couldn't stand it anymore and told her husband to stop.

Now Kronos/Luke faced me once more. "You said that you only have one weak spot, you're mistaken. You have two, like everybody else who bathed in river Styx. It's always a person. The person you're most attached to. You maybe even love that person, it's the person who stops you from drowning in the river. This person is you're literal lifeline. If that person gets injured, you'll share the same wound. If that person dies, you'll die too."

"And how was it with Achilles? He was just a baby after all!", I heard Clarisse shout, she had joined the fight after her father nearly forced them to help out after Kronos had moved behind our barricades, but when she finally appeared, it had already been too late. "Am I talking to you, girl? I think not, but nevertheless, the only person Achilles knew was the one, who dipped him into the river. His lifeline was his mother, for making her son as good as vulnerable, she was punished, but I don't remember, what the gods, your parents did to her, you don't get much information in Tartarus. But back to the task at hand, destroying Olympus." Zeus was on the verge of blowing one's top.

I looked around myself, at my friends, at the gods, back to Luke/Kronos. "I'll tell you mine week spot, when you tell me Luke's.", I said. Kronos just laughed. "I've got a better idea, I'll just go through everybody you care for, until I find your lifeline." "So what, you're going to kill everybody I know?" Kronos shook his head. "No, I would kill possible recruits and future underlings, I'm not that stupid. Bring me the red head." He pointed at Rachel. Nathan grabbed her and pulled her up the stairs. I started forward, but was roughly pushed back by another monster.

"What are you doing?", I asked alerted. The monster bent my right hand palm up for everybody to see. Kronos smirked. "We know you've kissed this girl, so we'll start with her." Rachel gasped and stuttered: "But I only told this one person." The spy. All demigods, including Grover, Thalia and Annabeth looked at someone, but I couldn't see his or her face. His/her eyes were teary, he/she held back a sob. "I didn't want this, you have to believe me. He told me he would spare us, but he killed so many." His/her sad eyes turned furious. Thalia was the first to step near that person. "I believe you." Then someone hugged him/her. "You know that you're my best friend and I also believe you." A lot of demigods agreed, but some stayed back sceptically.

Suddenly we heard a yelp and saw that blood swelled up in Rachel's palm. She clutched her hand to her chest and everybody looked at my hand expectantly. Nothing happened: No cut, no blood. Nakamura brought Rachel back to the others and some demigods left from the Apollo cabin treated her wound. Kronos/Luke sighed , "Bring in his mother. Maybe you have more in common with Achilles than we thought." I looked at him incredulously. "My mother isn't able to come into Olympus, she's mortal." Kronos laughed. "Maybe she wasn't able to, when the gods ruled, but now she surely is."

Sally was carried in, still fast asleep. When they made a small cut on her palm, she didn't even stir, but still my hand stayed the same: No pain, no blood. They didn't even bother to bring my mother back outside, while Luke/Kronos abruptly stood and went towards me. Barely noticeable I saw that he hobbled. He reached me and in that moment I wished I had riptide with me, but one of the guards held it in a firm grip.

"I'm not a very patient man, boy", Kronos said, then turned to Nathan again. "His friends.", he just said. Nathan and some others of Kronos' minions brought Grover and Annabeth to the spot, where Rachel stood just moments ago, when they wanted to drag Thalia there too, Luke/Kronos intervened and asked, if they didn't have eyes, that her ankle was already broken. Grover was first and like before nothing happened to my palm.

Then it was Annabeth's turn and the moment the dagger was pressed into her palm, I felt its weight like it was set against me. They made a little cut on Annabeth's hand and on mine appeared a similar one. I heard gasps, especially Annabeth looked surprised. "How dare you?", I turned to the gods and looked into the furious face of Athena, "How dare you take my daughter as your lifeline, you sea spawn?" Aphrodite watched dreamily, then hurried over to Athena. "You of all people should know that he can't choose, it's love, I've told him years ago."

Kronos laughed. "Well, well, look at that, a son of Poseidon fell in love with a daughter of Athena, how tragic! Now my dear, you shall die." "No, wait!" I heard myself shout, before I even realized that the words have escaped my mouth. " I'll tell you my weak spot, no need to hurt her. Spare her, I beg you." I felt embarrassed, but I couldn't be at fault for Annabeth's death, she should live, she deserved to live a happy, long life, not this. Kronos turned to me. "And why would I do this?" I tried to look sincere. "Because she would be a valuable recruit for you, she's one of the smartest demigods there are." Kronos/Luke thought hard for a moment, then just shrugged. "Useless information."

Then he turned and stabbed Annabeth in the stomach. Pain shot through my abdomen. I had failed at beating Kronos and I had failed at saving the ones I love. I had lost everything, but worse was looking into Annabeth's face as I tipped over. Seeing her heart stop through her eyes.

I woke with a start. It had all been just a nightmare. To convince myself, I went from my room and dumped into Jake Mason. "Hey Percy, are you alright? You didn't sleep long, you should get more rest." I stumbled past him. "In a moment. I just have to know -" I stopped dead in my tracks, when I saw Annabeth fast asleep on the couch. "Oh thank the gods." I kneeled next to her sleeping form and brushed a streak from her face, then I carefully kissed her forehead and went back to sleep.

The next time in my dream, I saw Nico di Angelo alone in the gardens of Hades. He'd just dug a hole in one of Persephone's flowerbeds, which I didn't figure would make the queen happy. He poured a goblet of whine ...

**Yes it had only been a dream. After Annabeth had been stabbed on the bridge, they had went to that hotel room , then Percy had dreamed about Nico, and I wanted this to be a nightmare before he had had the dream. Hope, my English was good enough and that at least somebody understood the story.**


End file.
